Many companies are now cooperating with each other to bring autonomous driving into the transport industry for trucks.
Already with the attempt to introduce autonomous driving in cars, formed blocks. Something similar seems to be happening in the truck sector. The pressure to develop is probably also growing because startups like TuSimple must catch up, who immediately concentrated on the trucks.
Gatik and Cummins for the middle mile
gatic is a company that has been dealing with the Truck Automation grapples. Now the company is building the software suite of Cummins a. This enables the first medium-duty trucks (USA Class 6 / up to 12 tons) in its Isuzu FTR fleet to be equipped with the drive-by-wire drive. Gatik plans its commercialization strategy independent of a platform, so that the technology can be installed by different manufacturers. Last year Gatik took part Walmart together introduced an autonomous delivery service.
Testing Waymo and Mercedes-Benz Trucks
The industry leader Waymo, Google’s sister, cooperates with the manufacturer Mercedes Benz. Automated trucks have been the focus since 2020. Now the focus is on testing the heavy-duty class 8 trucks weighing over 12 tons. The common goal is to cross the road cruisers between Dallas and Houston in Texas to get onto the tarmac of Interstate 45.
Waymo Via, as Waymo’s logistics business is called, will combine the Waymo Driver (the automation system) with Daimler’s redundant systems. Daimler’s Freightliner Cascadia was specially designed for this purpose. Even if the hydraulics fail, the vehicles can still be steered and braked. The battery delivers 48 volts and can drive longer with it.
The trucks will soon be tested on public roads. Waymo also works with Uber Freight on Interstate 45. It also works with J.B. Hunt and UPS in Texas together. A truck hub with charging stations and parking spaces was only opened in June Lancaster.
Kodiak Robotics and Pilot Company for Truck Hub
The two companies Pilot Company and Kodiak Robotics have teamed up to build an autonomous truck hub near Atlanta. This is how you want to evaluate a logistics transport and find scalable solutions. The aim is to offer the entire spectrum: from transport to inspections, maintenance, data transmission and mapping. They also want to develop new functions together. Pilot Company will accompany Kodiak in the development as an investor.
Since July, Kodiak has partnered with 10 Road Express, a provider of time-sensitive ground transportation for the US Postal Service. It also serves the route between Dallas and Oklahoma City with CEVA Logistics and other routes in Texas and Florida.